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The Gift of GraceSunday 1st September

The gift of grace

1.Ask

7 “Ask, and God will give to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will open for you. 8 Yes, everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who searches will find. And everyone who knocks will have the door opened.Matthew 7:7-8

If only you knew the giver then you know the value of the giftIt’s not just what you know but what you do with what you know12 “Do to others what you want them to do to you. This is the meaning of the law of Moses and the teaching of the prophets.14 But the gate is small and the road is narrow that leads to true life. Only a few people find that road.18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit.21 “Not all those who say ‘You are our Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven. The only people who will enter the kingdom of heaven are those who do what my Father in heaven wants.24 “Everyone who hears my words and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock.Matthew 7:12,14,18,21,24

2. Speaking words of life

The gift of grace is available and we can speak in a way that brings that gift into our lives.James talks a great deal on this and if you have time to read James alongside the sermon in Matthew 5-7 and see the parallels.When you ask, you do not receive because the reason you ask is wrong. You want things so you can use them for your own pleasures.James,4:3

It is the same with the tongue. It is a small part of the body, but it brags about great things. A big forest fire can be started with only a little flame. And the tongue is like a fire. It is a whole world of evil among the parts of our bodies. The tongue spreads its evil through the whole body. The tongue is set on fire by hell, and it starts a fire that influences all of life. People can tame every kind of wild animal, bird, reptile, and fish, and they have tamed them, but no one can tame the tongue. It is wild and evil and full of deadly poison. We use our tongues to praise our Lord and Father, but then we curse people, whom God made like himself. Praises and curses come from the same mouth! My brothers and sisters, this should not happen. Do good and bad water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree make olives, or can a grapevine make figs? No! And a well full of salty water cannot give good water.James 3:5-12

Good people bless and build up their city, but the wicked can destroy it with their words. Proverbs 11:1133 “If you want good fruit, you must make the tree good. If your tree is not good, it will have bad fruit. A tree is known by the kind of fruit it produces. 34 You snakes! You are evil people, so how can you say anything good? The mouth speaks the things that are in the heart.35 Good people have good things in their hearts, and so they say good things. But evil people have evil in their hearts, so they say evil things. 36 And I tell you that on the Judgment Day people will be responsible for every careless thing they have said. 37 The words you have said will be used to judge you. Some of your words will prove you right, but some of your words will prove you guilty.”Matthew 12:33-37

Are there those among you who are truly wise and understanding? Then they should show it by living right and doing good things with a gentleness that comes from wisdom.James 3.13

3. Christ came to give us life

9 I am the door, and the person who enters through me will be saved and will be able to come in and go out and find pasture. 10 A thief comes to steal and kill and destroy, but I came to give life—life in all its fullness.John 10:9-10

The gift of grace is Life to all it’s fullnessGenesis• Made in the image of God.• Created to have dominion• Commanded to be fruitful• Learning to trust in God for knowledge and wisdomSeek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well.

The Lord has told you, human, what is good; he has told you what he wants from you: to do what is right to other people, love being kind to others, and live humbly, obeying your God.

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